Andy Carroll transfer won't derail our season, says Alan Pardew

02 February 2011 08:58

Alan Pardew is confident his Newcastle side can secure its Barclays Premier League status without Andy Carroll.

The Magpies head for Fulham this evening looking to maintain an unbeaten start to their league campaign this calendar year which has brought them eight points from four games to date in 2011, significantly without the injured 22-year-old.

However, they did so still reeling from Carroll's ?35million departure for Liverpool during the final hours of the winter transfer window and with their fans wondering just how much of a gamble that decision represents.

Making a point: The fall-out from Andy Carroll's transfer continue to rumble on

Pardew acknowledges the loss of a man he had maintained would not be leaving the club in January from the early days of his reign has come as a blow, not least to fans who have expressed their anger and dismay in the last 24 hours.

But he is confident Carroll's absence will not dash the club's hopes of an extended stay in the top flight.

Thumbs up: Alan Pardew continues to make all the right noises about the state of his club

He said: 'My message is that we have to now push on and get the strongest finish we can with the team we have. It's obviously a blow to lose one or our star players, but the fee is extraordinary for a 22-year-old and it will be invested back into the club. That's the message they [the fans] need to hear.

'Unfortunately for me sitting here today, I can't invest any of it until the summer. Yes, I am confident, I am confident in the group that they can get themselves together and by the time we get to tomorrow's game, I hope we are ready to show that.

'I am employed here as football manager, so I went out and did the best job I could in the morning, and the players are under professional contracts and they did the best they could.

'Were we buoyant, were we all happy and smiling? No. Have we got a little streak in us where we want to make sure he is not a loss to us? Yeah.

'Of course it's a risk. We have to make sure we stay strong as a group and my message as much to the fans as the players, is that we are going to have to be strong through this second half of the season.

'We certainly don't want to get involved in that situation. We have done well without him and we have to continue to do well between now and the end of the year.'

Is that it? Only Stephen Ireland arrived. on loan, and injured

Pardew spoke to his players on Tuesday morning as the dust settled on a tumultuous day on Tyneside which saw Carroll leave and only Stephen Ireland, who arrived on loan from Aston Villa with a hamstring injury which will keep him out for a fortnight, coming in.

He said: 'This is about Newcastle United being bigger than anyone. That's what it's about, the football club, and we have to do what we think is right for the football club. The decision was what we felt was probably right for Newcastle United.'

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